BP7: Happiness Found in Personal Locations

To me: an architecture of  happiness involves the combination of efforts from the visual experience, the personal reflection, and the overall beauty of a specific space or place :)

The idea of this happiness implying to the "rules" of architecture can be both agreed upon or DISREGARDED because when creating a a place or space of happiness, one must understand the basic principles to create architecture that follows the rules but can also have a set of unique personal guidelines that are used for backbone support as well.

My happy place on campus is located  behind the EUC where another fountain on campus can be found.  I find happiness at this location for the fact of open harmonious decorated space and the social common area for sitting which is all organized together underneath a natural environment. During a nice sunny day, a couple can enjoy lunch together outside at this location, a hardworking student can organize notes, and day care children can sit around the fountain for lunch time.  Debotton says "Belief in significance of architecture is premised on the notion that we are, for the better or for worse, different people in different places- and on the conviction that is architecture's task to render vivid to us who we might ideally be."  (pg.11) I agree with this statement fully and there can be evidence to his belief found everyday at this happy location.
Rule: A basic rule of architecture can be the axis found at my happy place. The EUC and the fountain are located in a line going straight, and can be continued to follow a continuous axis throughout campus.  

 Now,  my happy space is located inside the EUC on the first floor. The room is specifically called the mediation room for the obvious nature of obtaining absolute silence from the entry to the interior. The entire room gives a calming feel. The space is so uniquely quiet from many spaces on campus and when searching for a getaway I find this room to make me extremely happy. I can focus in this room or sit quietly to just think to myself. This room has a window to also view my happy place through a wide glass window on the far right of the room. To block the entire glare of the sun that the window might have brought to the room there are light blue dimmers to give the room again the calm, relaxing feel of almost like a fountain which now both my space and place share. 

Rule: A basic rule of architecture is a sacred circle which is the place for gathering in early times. A place of sacredness, and unity for many early tribes and cultures. In the happy space the circle is a focal point. The circle has different flooring material from rest of the rooms floor interior.  The circle is solid wood while the rest of the flooring is carpet. The circle holds the rooms presence of silence and mediation together as one complete whole.

Erin Matthews

Non-Major

Pictures taken by myself.